1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printing systems in which a plurality of printing apparatuses and at least one control apparatus are interconnected via networks. The present invention also relates to printing apparatuses and control apparatuses which can be implemented in such printing systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printing systems which allow execution of substitute printing are known. In such a substitute printing system, when an error occurs in a printing apparatus for performing a print job, another printing apparatus capable of performing the print job is selected. Then, information on the print job is transferred to the selected printing apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-281850). According to this substitute printing system, unexpected interruption of a printing process due to an error can be avoided, which increases productivity in printing.
In addition, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-339126 describes another substitute printing technique. Specifically, even in a case where there is a difference in capability between a printing apparatus in which an error has occurred and other printing apparatuses to be used for substitute printing, a printing result desired by a user can be obtained using a selected printing apparatus.
In such substitute printing systems described above, substitute printing apparatuses are to be selected after errors occur. Thus, when an instruction of substitute printing is sent to the selected apparatus while the apparatus is in a low power consumption state, it takes a long time until the selected printing apparatus enters a printable state to provide a print output. In addition, in such a selected printing apparatus to be used for substitute printing, operations to be performed as necessary for optimization of the apparatus, such as an automatic adjustment operation, may disadvantageously delay the start of the substitute printing. Further, when a printing apparatus, which receives an instruction of substitute printing, has been executing another print job, the substitute printing cannot be performed until the ongoing print job is completed. This also results in a delay of the start of substitute printing.